Hospital board announces planned departure of CEO

San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital released an embargoed statement Wednesday morning, announcing that its CEO, Mark Turner, is stepping down.

The decision was made “several months ago, and is completely voluntary,” according to the hospital.

The announcement comes in the wake of a heated public feud between the hospital and Beaver Medical Group, whose physicians contract services at San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital.

According to hospital spokesman Ken Kim, Turner’s last day will be Sept. 15.

Turner was appointed to his position in 2009, after working for Nashville, Tenn.-based Brim Healthcare, which previously managed San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital.

Turner was active in the community, having served on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of the San Gorgonio Pass, and is a former chairman of the Beaumont Chamber of Commerce.

Under his watch, the hospital opened its newest building, housing the intensive care unit and emergency department.

“There has been a lot of distraction in recent months, which has taken away from the wonderful work each member of our team performs every day to deliver high-quality care for the residents of our community,” Turner said in a statement. “We tried to cut through that, yet it has persisted. I believe the most impactful step I can take to help our beloved institution turn the page is to step back, and allow the hospital to start fresh with new leadership.”

Turner said, “Leading this hospital has been a great privilege, and this was a difficult decision.”

The hospital’s board is working on selecting an outside agency to lead the search for its next CEO.

“Over the past several months, our hospital has been forced to deal with many distractions,” pointed out Dr. Jerilynn Kaibel, chairwoman of the hospital’s board, which is made up of eight appointed members (including Kaibel) and the five elected members of the San Gorgonio Memorial Healthcare District board. “Mark has demonstrated endless patience and grace, and led our organization so that it could continue delivering the high-quality care our community deserves.”

According to Kaibel, “He has once again demonstrated his commitment to the hospital’s future by making the difficult decision to step down, and allow us to start fresh with new leadership.”

Kaibel hopes that, as the hospital recruits its next CEO, her organization can focus on resolving its issues regarding patient care that has been raised by Epic Management, LC, the company that manages Beaver Medical Group’s physicians.

“It’s time to get serious about reaching an agreement that allows the hospital and the community to move forward,” Kaibel said. “We are grateful to the staff, physicians and nurses for their dedication to providing high-quality care to our patients during this transition.”

Staff Writer David James Heiss may be reached at dh****@re***********.net.